Memorial Day – Bender Tales

To Honor Their Courage and Commitment

I turned off Rifle River Road onto the snow-covered driveway leading to the Ogemaw County Fairgrounds. Two sets of tire tracks told me I was last to arrive. Following them, I passed a collection of small historic buildings gathered from around the community to form the Antique Village. During Fair Week each August, crowds wanderedContinue reading “To Honor Their Courage and Commitment”

The Homegoing

Thirty-five members of Alpha Surgical Company stood in the parking lot outside the Medical Battalion’s headquarters building. Clad in dress blues, they were thankful for the early morning muster. At Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the weather is oppressive in August, and they wanted to get on the road before their uniforms wilted.Continue reading “The Homegoing”

Okay So Far

Camp Chesty, on the outskirts of An Numaniyah, occupied a patch of desert the Marines had taken from the Iraqis on 3 April on their way to Baghdad. Part airfield, it hosted the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters and subordinate units, housed in tents. Each unit had its own space, separated from the others byContinue reading “Okay So Far”

Eyesore

There is something in my eye. Sand. Always sand. But this feels bigger than the talc-like stuff that blows around us constantly. I reach behind my left hip, pull the canteen out of its casing, and unscrew the top. Since the 5-ton truck I am riding in has stopped, I move to the tailgate, leanContinue reading “Eyesore”

At the American Cemetery in Normandy

On Memorial Day 2014, the United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment visited the American Cemetery in Normandy and with a student group from an American college provided evening colors. As we remember the 76th Anniversary of D-Day this year, here are some photos from that visit and the prayer I offered during the ceremony.Continue reading “At the American Cemetery in Normandy”

I Remember You

Names carved in granite, Neatly, in rows, Ordered by date of death. “I remember you,” I mutter, as my fingers read a section. For a short moment my mind races back to body bags, opened in search of dog tags listing religious preference. A bullet hole in the spine, just below the skull. Searching throughContinue reading “I Remember You”

A Single Light

Written in 2012 It was really dark outside when I drove home tonight. Because of the cloud cover, even the moon seemed not to shine. The only lights visible were the (too many, as always) taillights of the cars in front of me on the highway and the occasional street lamps or neon glowing nearContinue reading “A Single Light”